BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS Storm trashes...

BRIEFLY IN

THE NEWS

Storm trashes Newport’s sands

Winter storms have brought more than rain to the beaches. On

Wednesday, city crews were cleaning up loads of weeds and debris that

washed ashore on the city’s beaches.

Lifeguard Lt. Dave Wenger said the debris is brought to the beach

from the Santa Ana River every time there is a heavy downpour.

“We normally rake it up and pile it all up on the beach,” he said.

The trash is then carted out of the beach in trucks, Wenger said.

He said that crews were at work all of Wednesday morning, but that

they may wait for the second big storm expected on Thursday before

taking out the trash.

-- Deepa Bharath

Record smoking judgment reduced

A Newport Beach woman on Wednesday had her record $28-billion

award against Philip Morris reduced significantly to $28 million.

The case of Betty Bullock shocked many when a Los Angeles County

jury elaborately punished the tobacco company in early October.

In reducing the jury’s award, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge

Warren Ettinger said the figure was unreasonable and excessive. He

did, however, uphold the jury’s decision that Phillip Morris was at

least partly responsible for Bullock’s terminal lung cancer.

The 64-year-old Bullock does not expect to live to see the money,

her attorney has said.

Bullock, who has smoked much of her life, intends to set up a

foundation with the money to help prevent others from smoking,

attorney Mike Piuze said.

-- S.J. Cahn